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In the field of Naval preparations, we have reported more
than once of the submarine preparations. At nresent nevertheless,
indications arc that besides tne submarines an increase in sure
face ships is alse pushed with great enersy. The Soviet construe¬
tion programme has this in particular, that it eontempletes no buile
ding of battleships or of very big aireraft earriers, Instead it
comcentrates on smaller aireraft earrisrs and on cTULSETS, espés
@ially the 9500 to 10500 ton impreved Kirov type of heavy cruiser.
this eoncentration on smaller types is due to two reasons + the
first and most important one is, that the Seviet High Command dees
not contemplate independent action by the surface fleet. It considers
the surface flect only as operating in eonjuneticn with the land
forces, protecting their seavard flanks, aiding them as floating
artillery and possibly maxing landing operations, but these enly
immediately behind the enemy lines. For these latter there is indi~
cation in the vast development of the Soviet Marine": Corps. The se¬
eond reason is a matter of timing . Both the big aircraft carriers
and the betileships are very slow to eonstruct. In the time one
ef these is built, three or four smalier one's can be constructed.
Final y our observers say, that there is still a leck in sailing
personnel. Gvery better sailor has been sent into the submarine
fleet. The new sailors for tne expanding surface fleet are mostly
Arafted in the Baltie Provinces, where tne population is still Far
ther unreliable. Other large reeruiting areas of the Seviet fleet
are from the fishing populations bordering the Black See and the
big Inland seas of the JSSR;
In matters of Seviet tviation, we have received two in¬
formations of interest : the first of these is the vast expansion
of airforce persounell, whieh is deing earried out at present. From
a total force of /750,.000 the expansion now will inerease the aire
ferce personnell te 1.150.000 within the coming eighteen months.
fhe second news is, that tne Soviews are preparing an entirely new
night fightér. This new night fighter seems te be vastly superior
to any typé hitherte known, and will oe, in the Soviet estimate,
ene of-tne outstanding achievements in the protection of the Soviet
indystrial empire against nignt raids. We were unable to know more
about ite The same stands for the new Soviet Helicopther, which
has been tested during the summer. This Helicepter allegedly is
able © soive the question of speed in heritontal flying, reaching
a velocity of nearly 500 Kilometers. But nere too, none ef our
ebservers have’ personally seen the new types, though they say that
they /fully belueve their existence.
a fh Whil.e these armament programmes are rapidly carried eut,
fe
y
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